Poulami Ghatak

New Delhi: Table tennis star Poulami Ghatak was the only one from Bengal to figure in the list of 15 who will receive the Arjuna award this year for their achievements in sports.

While Poulami edged out Mouma Das, her teammate in the national squad, the other Bengal sportspersons who had been shortlisted for the Arjuna and the Dronacharya awards did not find favour at the selection meetings held here on Monday.

Surprisingly, none of the three footballers — Deepak Mondal, Mahesh Gawli and Climax Lawrence — who had been recommended by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), were considered for the Arjuna Award.

According to sources, no other member of the committee, except for former India captain Syed Nayeemuddin spoke about India’s triumph in the AFC Challenge Cup last year.

Although Nayeemuddin said the award should go to Gawli for his performance in the international arena, the other members vetoed the proposal.

More controversy, however, has been created over the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award. Unable to make up its mind, the committee selected world women’s boxing champion MC Mary Kom for the top national sporting award but asked the sports ministry to also consider the names of two Olympic medallists, Vijender Kumar and Sushil Kumar for the same award.

Mary Kom, the 25-year-old mother of two from Manipur, has won medals at all the five world championships held so far, including an unprecedented fourth successive gold in the last year’s edition in China.

Another woman boxer from Manipur, L. Sarita Devi (52kg), who was a silver medallist at last year’s world championships has been picked for the Arjuna award.

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is generally awarded to one sportsperson annually. Only once has it been shared, between shooter Anjali Bhagwat and athlete K.M. Beenamol. The decision raised a controversy at the time, forcing the government to decide against a repeat.

The Khel Ratna, Arjuna awards and Dhyanchand awards committees are headed by former table tennis national champion Indu Puri, while the panel for Dronacharya awards is headed by G.S. Randhawa.

In cricket, the selection committee preferred Gautam Gambhir over Jhulan Goswami, while Mangal Singh Champia received it in archery. Only five coaches were named for the Dronacharya award. Senior Bengal athletics coach Kuntal Roy, who has produced top athletes like Soma Biswas and Sushmita Singha Roy, was once again ignored by the committee.